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Thursday, July 9, 2009

There's a spanking NEW outlet in town, so rejoice fellow Ipohans (or Ipohites, whichever suits your fancy) !!! Recently opened for business, the proprietress was formerly with Kafe Happy Valley in Old Town of Ipoh. This outlet opened without much fanfare, so save for the residents of Ipoh Garden East, or those passing by on the way to Tambun, many would not have known of its existence.

The spacious al fresco dining area is a welcoming change, for a meal & the ensuing lounging session .....

Those baby-boomers of yesteryears, (aka antiques like me) would certainly agree that we did sworn by the extremely hip (and almost legendary) Antap Cafe in Ipoh Garden East, waaaayyyy back in the late 90's.

Which has since then, ceased operation for a good number of years now, after the existence of Coffee Beans, Starbucks, Kopitiam and all. But pleasant memories still linger on till this very day, as who could possibly forget their first sips of ice blended coffees (ahem, back then only a handful of outlets serve them; pricey yet the coolest beverage bar none .... OK, beer's out of the equation. We WERE school students after all), gathering for any functions we could think of (from birthdays to farewells), and bragging rights for a Saturday's night well-spent.

Okay, so Y2K and Timezone (in addition to the almost illicit Discovery) were also the usual hangouts, but one can't be spending RM15 for a bottle of beer every weekend, when one's pocket money amounted to mere tens and twentys per week. Right? ;)

The outdoor seating area - With an interesting pond-cum-fountain shaped like the number 8, probably for Feng Shui's sake?

OK, fast forward 10 years later, and we see half of the gigantic premis being occupied by arguably THE best dining place in Ipoh, Citrus Wine & Dine, while the other half has been housing different tenants a few times.

Homemade Soup in a Bun

Thanks to the invitation extended by Sharon and her brother, Chris, I finally met the chef herself. The brilliant lady who had been cooking some mean, REALLY mean Siamese laksa that never failed to impress every time we ordered through my aunt. Back then, her Siamese laksa has always been cooked to order, from home. Thus I haven't had the slightest clue on who he/she was. But everytime my aunt brought over the laksa for any family gatherings, praises were abound, and everyone was smacking their lips in approval.

Banana Toast (left), and Toast with Butter & Honey

The simple menu consisted of a few sections, from the usual rice and noodle dishes, to Western fare, snacks and toasts, and the rather lengthy beverage menu. Most of their signature beverages consist of drinks mixed with their own honey (Sharon's Laksa shares their premise with Total Natural, which is a distributor of various organic honey products).

For starters, we were served with the thick, and creamy soup in a bun. They boil their own stock, with added cubes of potatoes, the soup was a warming elixir perfectly complemented and served in a bowl made from bread. Tear the pieces of bread off, and dip them into the soup. Best consumed hot, hence do not wait.

The buttered toast served with drizzles of honey was an ingenious idea, a welcoming change of sorts from the norm of serving toast with butter and kaya. The honey is not too sweet, hence pleasing both the young and the old.

Lip-smackingly delicious Sambal Lou Shu Fun ('Rat's Tail' Noodles)

On to their mains, the Sambal Lou Shu Fun passed the test with flying colours, maintaining the springy or Q texture of the short rice noodles, while fried with enough 'wok hei', and lots of ingredients, such as shrimps, egg, and various vegetables. The slightly evident sambal kicked it up a notch, lifting the simple fried noodle dish to greater heights.

Marmite Chicken with Rice

The Marmite Chicken was another recommended item from Sharon, and the Chinese-influenced dish sure did not disappoint. Sticky, glistening fried boneless chicken meat coated with Marmite sauce, the dish may even passed off as Guiness Stout Chicken, or Honey Chicken. Slightly sweet, with a faint hint of the umami taste, the chicken should be a hit with the children.

Nasi Lemak Sharon's Special

Fragrant pandan-flavoured rice served with a killer sambal, which was not spicy but instead sweet-ish, crunchy anchovies and peanuts, papadam crackers, and an egg. The Special version comes with the curry/rendang chicken, which was fried beforehand.

The tangy and spicy Assam Laksa

Sharon's serves two varieties of Laksa. One of Malaysia's most well-known spicy noodle dish. One being the Asam Laksa (akin to Penang's version, not the southern variety with lots of santan and curry), which is served on a daily basis. While another being her utmost fantastic creation of Siamese Laksa, available only on weekends. (What a bummer, you say?)

The most addictive of them all, a definite must-try, Siamese Laksa. Only on weekends, folks.

We sampled both that evening, and needless to say, the Siamese version got my vote. And the others as well. Not to say the Asam Laksa was bad. It was anything but bad. But pale in comparison to the creamy, sinful bowl of Siamese Laksa, which enticed me since the first time I tasted her version back then when she did not operate from a shop. With addition of crunchy bits of 'choy pou' (preserved radish), the gravy was so thick and rich, you'll be scooping spoonfuls of them before you know realise it.

The beverages @ Sharon's. Predominant with honey aka Coffee with Honey, Soothing Iced Honey drink, as well as Jasmine Tea with Honey and Honey Milk!

The Honey Milk drink has always been a favourite of mine, served either hot or cold. There's something very soothing about the combination, which works wonders for the throat, and comforting to the tummy. One glass of the hot one, and you'll be dozing off in no time. ;)

The coffee with honey is another good option, especially when those cravings for caffeine come a-kicking! And certainly miles better than adding sugar.

The shelf with the products on sale, courtesy of Total Natural Corporation Sdn Bhd - Health and Natural Products. Suddenly one's meal become less guilt-ridden here!

On the whole, the meal was a most satisfying one. If you happen to be in the vicinity, or after a heavy shopping spree at Jusco, drop by for a meal here. The prices are indeed reasonable, with most dishes priced at less than RM10. They even offer set meals, but no details can be furnished as of now. Read : Me forgot to revisit and grab a leaflet. =P

57 comments:

Oh..man. Thank you so very much. My wife & I intend to visit the outlet last Saturday, but tot its was an Organic Cafe or sort. We left. This place is just a stone throw away. Thanks for recommendations. I use to hang out with my family members & friend there until the place was close down.

Been looking for this siamese laksa for some time...last time there was a famous one in old town . Wondering if this is the same one. Thanks for sharing...will definitely go there for a bite when the Piggies are back :)

Derek : this was dinner a week or two ago. hahaha ... a family dinner.

genuiness : when you put it that way, yeah, in some ways. still, different in terms of presentation perhaps?

Selba: is there no laksa in Indo? i'm sure there's at least a curry version right?

BBO : your mum's around the area as well? hey, we could be neighbours! hahah ...

ai wei :sure, no prob. IF you ever come to IPoh, that is.

Anonymous : Family's Siam Laksa also not bad, but I prefer this version more. maybe cz I've been eating Sharon's version everytime there's a family gathering, whereby we'd order many, many packets from her.

oh gosh.. i didnt know this existed... now i m still thinking where this place is.. antap cafe formerly? must be ipoh gdn east go straight straight in.. right? ok i refer to the map, sorry..staying in ipoh also dont know ipoh well.. how about that!

Went there last wknd right afta reading your take on them in your blog. The siamese laksa was just RIGHT! and amazingly the choy poh went well with the broth...a tasty twist...the assam laksa was tasty but a tad too salty. Kids had the chic chop...delicious and love them honey beverages...went there again today and had the nasi lemak. Very good curry chic and sambal. Downside: still a little green on the service end...esp during peak dinner time. The 1st time there we had to wait a long time between dishes. Today vast improvement as were there early and the waiting time was way better. Oh j2kfm, thanks for ALL your 'discoveries' on Ipoh eateries. This blog has become my guide to good food in Ipoh. Altho born and bred here and recently relocated back from KL, I never knew Ipoh has so many hidden 'gems'. Amazing! Been recommending your sites to buddies. Keep up the fantabulous work!

Went to Sharon's Laksa after reading your blog. They're open for lunch now. But am disappointed to report that the Siamese Laksa is totally different to Siamese Laksa served in KL (where I am fron originally) and the Sambal Lou Shu Fun did not have the "wok hei" that you talked about. Maybe the chef had an off day. Not sure if I will go back there to give it a second chance.

went with my family yesterday after reading yr post. Ordered the Siam laksa (reli-reli yummy), soup in bun (not bad), banana bread (yummy too), nasi lemak (not bad), sambal low-shi fun (must eat while it's still hot or else not so yummy) and marmite chicken (not bad). The total bills came upto approx. RM47. Shall definately return for the siamese laksa, banana bread and also to try other dishes as well. I noticed that they put up a notice saying tat "Open 365 days 11am to 11pm". Those who has run out of idea where to eat shd try it out : the environment is nice esp. in a windy evening ............

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Who's Motormouth?

I hail from Ipoh, Perak with a strong desire to share the best of Malaysian food, and the endless chapters of my personal travel stories. Currently writes at www.j2kfm.com. And I am residing in KL/PJ now.